Rites Of Passage

Rites Of Passage:
any ritual or ceremony wherein a participant crosses a threshold demarcating a transformation of their state of being.

Rites Of Passage is a holistic, spiritual model based on an inevitable journey that all humans go through in a lifetime. This model describes the twelve Mystical Stages of our Physical and Spiritual Evolution. It explores the spiritual peaks or 'points of transformation' in life. Rites Of Passage also clarifies when and why we experience life crisis, and more importantly, alternative approaches to transforming these dilemmas. As each stage is experienced and understood, we develop a growing wisdom and intelligence that serves as the foundation for living an enriched life and creating a balanced society.

Humanity is in a constant search to discover a truth that can explain the nature of our existence. How did we get here? Why am I having these experiences? Where are we going? What is it all for? We evaluate our life today in much the same way as humanity evaluated the planet prior to the voyages of Christopher Columbus: as a flat line that abruptly comes to an end. We now know that the planet is a circle where beginning and ending points meet, yet we continue to struggle with the same confusion regarding the evolution of our life.

We live in a contemporary culture. Our technological advancements have given us a quality of life unimaginable just 100 years ago, but simultaneously we have separated ourselves from the same enriching life that our technology was originally meant to enhance. Today we live in more comfort, yet we suffer through personal experiences that disempower our lives. We continue to be confused about sexuality, relationships, parenting, and growing old. We struggle to gain clarity about a purpose for our living. Values such as honesty and integrity are compromised for security. We wage battles with others and ourselves in a desperate attempt to cover up these uncertainties about life.

Prominent scholars such as Joseph Campbell and Marija Gimbutas have suggested that we reexamine an earlier model for living that was based on feminine values. Throughout this time period we embraced a more mystical and magical view of life. It was a time when we found more balance in our daily living. This model was based on the 'Circle' and follows universal principles observed within nature. It describes the 'evolution of our consciousness' as well as provides a model for the healthy maturation of individuals within a culture. Note here that embracing the feminine-value model is not a condemnation of masculine values; rather it is recognition of how out of balance our society has become. To reintroduce the feminine perspective creates the possibility for harmony and the elimination of problems we have struggled with for generations.

The Circle

The Circle, symbol of life cycles, cultural innovation and spiritual transformation. We can find no image more familiar than a circle. Its simple structure is seen as physical (rings, the wheel), verbal (talking in circles), celestial (the moon, planets). It describes frustration (going in circles), joy (circle of friends). It explains life (menstral cycles), death (returning to the earth). The circle and it's meaning is the symbolic center of everyting we know about being alive. Therefore it withstands reason that a symbol that explains so much of our physical existence could also have something to do with explaining the evolution of the human soul.

The three great religions of the west (Judism, Islam and Chrisianity) speak of a religious model based on the principles of a straight line. This model says that we are born, have one life to live and at it's end will face an ultimate moment where spiritual life fragments. At death we either win or lose. From an energetic point of view this philosophical model loses all momentum...and creating momentum is at the core of the philosophical principles of the circle.

Uranus Opposition •Opening to the Self, ego liberation and questing for the Authentic Self. What is hidden comes out.

Pluto Square• Challenge to face bullshit inside and out. Intense detox from false self, death of the false self.

Neptune Square•Ego dissolution. Looking at levels not linear, the Mystery. Ego needs to surrender the illusion of control. Come to terms with dreams... what can you really believe in? Time is disillusionment.